Microsoft’s Surface lineup of 2-in-1 convertibles and laptops has carved a fanbase of their own, offering premium hardware with the promise of a smooth Windows experience. The Surface Laptop series has enjoyed its fair share of warm reception, but a relatively high entry-point and lower performance-to-price ratio compared to what rivals offer have stopped it from becoming a runaway success and the go-to choice for students. That status quo might change soon, as Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a smaller and more affordable Surface-branded laptop that will be targeted at students and might start at just $500.
As per a Windows Central report, the upcoming laptop is codenamed Sparti. It will reportedly pack a 12.5-inch display and will be powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor ticking alongside 4 gigs of RAM and a paltry 64GB of onboard storage. The device is claimed to ship with Windows 10 in S mode. The pricing of Microsoft’s affordable Surface-branded laptop is touted to fall somewhere between $500 and $600. For comparison, the base configuration of the Surface Laptop 3 starts at $999.
A smaller footprint and a more affordable price tag definitely sound appealing, and if the upcoming device can retain the same elegant build as the vanilla Surface Laptop, Microsoft might have a winner at its hand. The company is no stranger to this strategy though. Microsoft lowered the entry-point in the Surface tablet PC lineup with the launch of the Surface Go 2, and something like a “Surface Laptop Go” might actually work well with the target audience.
The affordable Surface-branded laptop might be unveiled in October alongside a host of other products in the Surface series. Citing sources, the report adds that Microsoft has retained the signature Surface build for its upcoming affordable laptop, so we are covered on that front. It appears that Microsoft is going after the Chromebook crowd with its upcoming laptop, and if it manages to deliver on the performance front too, the company might have another successful product on the table.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20
The Note20 5G is currently on sale at Amazon for $200 off it's regular price of $999.